Moe’s SW Grill now part of the EP Levee District

Founded in 2000 in Atlanta, the chain has over 550 locations across North America and overseas. The franchise competes with Qdoba and Chipotle in the Southwestern fast-food category.

“We have nearly twice as many product platforms (including quesadillas, nachos and stacks) than our largest competitor and over 20 fresh, high-quality ingredients for them to customize their masterpieces,” noted Paul Macaluso, Moe’s chief marketing officer in Restaurant News last year.

“Moe’s has a ‘food mission,'” said Macaluso, “which is our commitment to serving the highest-quality ingredients every day, everywhere. We also embrace the fact that our guests each have their own ‘food mission,’ whether that’s high-protein, flexitarian, Paleo, etc.”

Ken Solem of Bloomington is one of the managing partners of the EP Moe’s along with other Moe’s outlets in Bloomington-Normal and Champaign. He’s not fazed by the fact that the chain’s chief competitors — Chipotle and Qdoba — are located nearby. He’s also planning on another store in the central Illinois market. “We look to open a store in Peoria next year,” he said.

Author: Steve Tarter

Born in England, raised in Boston, I'm a Midwestern transplant who's called Peoria home for the past 40 years. Married with four grown children, I enjoy journalism, film noir and radio drama. As the song goes, I like coffee; I like tea. Former president of the Apollo Theater in Downtown Peoria, I'm looking for a new raison d'etre.
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